| 1 | Tatjana Averina (Senior) | URS | 4:45.19 | OR, TR | - |
| 2 | Andrea Mitscherlich (C2) | GDR | 4:45.23 | WRJ, NR, TRJ | +0.040 |
| 3 | Lisbeth Korsmo-Berg (Senior) | NOR | 4:45.24 | NR | +0.050 |
| 4 | Karin Kessow (Neo) | GDR | 4:45.60 | | +0.410 |
| 5 | Ines Bautzmann (A1) | GDR | 4:46.67 | | +1.480 |
| 6 | Sylvia Filipsson (Neo) | SWE | 4:48.15 | | +2.960 |
| 7 | Nancy Swider (A2) | USA | 4:48.46 | | +3.270 |
| 8 | Sylvia Burka (Neo) | CAN | 4:49.04 | NR | +3.850 |
| 9 | Sijtje van der Lende (Senior) | NED | 4:50.86 | | +5.670 |
| 10 | Erwina Rys (Neo) | POL | 4:50.95 | | +5.760 |
| 11 | Beth Heiden (B1) | USA | 4:51.67 | | +6.480 |
| 12 | Tuula Vilkas (Senior) | FIN | 4:51.71 | NR | +6.520 |
| 13 | Nina Statkevitsj (M30) | URS | 4:53.94 | | +8.750 |
| 14 | Tatjana Sjelekhova-Rastopsjina (M30) | URS | 4:54.03 | SB | +8.840 |
| 15 | Annie Borckink (Senior) | NED | 4:56.75 | SB | +11.560 |
| 16 | Janina Urszula Korowicka (Neo) | POL | 4:57.48 | | +12.290 |
| 17 | Cindy Seikkula (A1) | USA | 4:57.57 | SB | +12.380 |
| 18 | Elisabeth Appleby (B2) | CAN | 4:58.68 | | +13.490 |
| 19 | Yuko Ota (A2) | JPN | 4:58.92 | | +13.730 |
| 20 | Christa Jaarsma (Neo) | NED | 5:00.08 | | +14.890 |
| 21 | Chieko Ito (Neo) | JPN | 5:02.57 | | +17.380 |
| 22 | Paula-Irmeli Halonen (M30) | FIN | 5:03.08 | NRM | +17.890 |
| 23 | Gayle Gordon (Neo) | CAN | 5:07.09 | | +21.900 |
| 24 | Nam-Soon Lee (C2) | KOR | 5:08.34 | NRJ, NR | +23.150 |
| 25 | Ewa Malewicka (Neo) | POL | 5:08.79 | | +23.600 |
| 26 | Linda Rombouts (Neo) | BEL | 5:10.35 | NR | +25.160 |